Barbara Selby
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.                                        
October 21, 1991
(Phone:  703/557-5609)
 
Rick Mould
University of Alabama-Huntsville
(Phone:  205/895-6414)

Mike Bryant
EER Systems, Vienna, Va.
(Phone:  703/761-3704)

Debbie Bingham
White Sands Missile Range, N.M.
(Phone:  505/678-1134)


RELEASE:  91-173

LAUNCH DATE SET FOR CONSORT 4 MICROGRAVITY EXPERIMENTS
 

   The launch of Consort 4, a commercial suborbital rocket 
carrying nine microgravity experiments, has been set for Nov. 
13 at 10:45 a.m. EST by the University of Alabama in 
Huntsville's Consortium for Materials Development in Space 
(UAH CMDS). 

   Using its Starfire rocket, EER Systems Corp., Space 
Services Div., Vienna, Va., will launch the Consort 4 payload 
from the Naval Ordnance Missile Test Station at White Sands 
Missile Range, N.M.  The two-stage solid fuel Starfire will 
carry the payload to an altitude of 200 miles and provide the 
experiments with 7 to 8 minutes of microgravity. 

   The rocket and launch services are funded by a grant from 
NASA's Office of Commercial Programs, Washington, D.C.  The 
UAH CMDS, which manages the Consort program, is one of 17 NASA 
Centers for the Commercial Development of Space (CCDS). 



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   Experiments aboard Consort 4 will focus on the effects of 
microgravity on various processes, materials and biomedical 
samples.  Two other CCDSs -- Battelle Advanced Materials 
Center, Columbus, Ohio, and the Center for Cell Research 
(CCR), Pennsylvania State University -- will conduct 
experiments aboard Consort 4.  The UAH CMDS and Battelle 
experiments will study the effects of low gravity environment 
on different materials, while Penn State CCR will examine 
biological samples. 

   In addition to the CCDS payloads, Thiokol Corp., Logan, 
Utah, will conduct a materials science experiment using 
polyurethane foam; Instrumentation Technology Associates, 
Inc., Exton, Pa., will study the effects of microgravity on a 
variety of materials and biological samples in its Materials 
Dispersion Apparatus Minilab; and Teledyne-Brown Engineering, 
Huntsville, Ala., will fly a battery experiment. 

   Consort 4 is the final launch in this series of Consort 
flights.  The UAH CMDS currently is evaluating bids for a 
follow-on Consort program.  

                            -end-
 
      EDITORS NOTE:  Requests for accreditation to cover the 
launch should be submitted by Nov. 7 to:
 
   Debbie Bingham, PAO
   Building 122
   White Sands Missile Range, N.M. 88002-5057
   Telephone:  505/678-1134
 
      Radio and television reporters planning live coverage 
directly from the range must submit their transmission 
frequencies to Debbie Bingham by Nov. 1 to obtain clearance 
for their use.